Anime UK News - Regular news, views and reviews from the UK Anime community and beyond

About Us

Who we are

Having been established since February 2004, Anime UK News is constantly striving to deliver high quality UK anime news and reviews to your computer screens each and every day, being sure to maintain high standards of writing and reliability.

Designed and maintained by devoted anime fans, Anime UK News and it's fledgling forum community is growing with each passing month, proving we are an ambitious and trusted resource for UK-based anime fans and beyond!

How to contact Anime UK News
Are you looking to contact Anime UK News about competition sponsorship, press releases and review copies? Do you represent a company or organisation looking for exposure on Anime UK News? Be sure to contact us by emailing paul@animeuknews.net.

Meet the team behind Anime UK News

Editor

Paul

Editor

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I'm already feeling old at 23 and hail from supposedly "the home of education"; Cambridge, UK. I've got no complaints, it's a nice place to live!

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

I can't remember the first cartoon (I'll never understand how some people can remember things from when they were, like, two years old!), but I was totally into Transformers when it aired on the Timmy Mallett show. A certain scene in the TF: Animated Movie still wigs me out to this day - "OPTIMUS, NNOOOO!!!"

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

On average I suppose I've been watching an episode of anime a day for the last three or four years. It's becoming clear to me this isn't fad that's going to go away; I'm properly addicted to the Japanese cartoons! There is too much (that I want) to watch.

It's not that I don't read manga, but I'm not nearly as into it as I am with anime. I rarely find myself as deeply immersed in the pages of manga as I do with the audio visual delight that is anime. That's just the kind of person I am, I guess.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

I was close to going with the heart warming comedy-drama that is Fruits Basket, but in the end my shameful affliction to enjoy impossibly long Shonen Jump anime won out and I have to say One Piece. If I'm going to be stuck on my own for a long enough time, the 300+ episodes charting Luffy's brave adventures around the world would help pass the time on those cold lonely nights!

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

Aside from normal social stuff like checking out the latest movies down at the cinema, I spend the rest of my spare time obsessed with (playing and watching) football (go Cambridge United!), developing websites and writing on my blog; I'm fascinated by interacting with readers of my websites, and maintaining a blog is a great way to connect with like-minded people over the 'net.

Martin

Editor

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

25 years young, currently living in the sleepy Yorkshire town of Northallerton.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

I vividly recall Dangermouse as a youngster - watching it more recently I've noticed other gags and items of wit that I never spotted before. Then there were the good old cheesy shows such as Thundercats...brilliant Saturday morning entertainment!

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

I probably watch about an hour's worth of anime a day, currently reduced because of university commitments but evenly split between DVDs and unlicenced stuff. Studying takes up a lot of my time but it's always good to unwind in front of the TV at the end of the day!

I'm not a big manga reader but I have a few series I dip into occasionally such as Monster, Death Note and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

A difficult one, this! I'd probably go for FLCL - a wild, funny and eternally rewatchable show with an awesome soundtrack. Plus it's by Gainax.

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

I periodically maintain (in the loosest sense of the word!) my own reviews/general randomness website, concretebadger.net, as well as practising rock guitar and watching various other types of TV and film. I read quite a bit too - Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Philip K Dick are my favourite authors right now.

News Reporter

Daniel

News Reporter

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I'm 17 and from Hertfordshire

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

That's an incredibly tough one, it's so hard to remember that far!
If it had to be a non-anime, it would probably be... Gosh this is harder than it looks! Probably Rupert the bear (?), Smurfs, (the other Smurf-like one but underwater), uhm and that chipmonks one! Good times!

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

This is another hard one. I don't have a set routine for watching anime. I watch it when I feel like it, and when I have the time. For example marathoning One Piece for a couple of weeks then taking a break. I don't generally have more than 1 series on the go though, I watch it all at once.
I've read bits and bobs of manga in the past, and I have a lot of it saved up. My general rule is watch anime first then read the manga, unfortunately though I don't have masses of money to buy all the manga of the anime I've watched so that's a bit of a problem. Although I did feel a great urge to read Death Note and I couldn't put it down after reading the first couple of pages, but I stopped after chapter 1 luckily!

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

No comment : P. It's impossible for me to choose a favourite.
I'd have to bring an internet-enabled computer along to this island. 8)

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

Everything Japanese interests me. As well as the countries around Japan (Korea mainly). I love languages of these countries to bits, that's the main thing of the countries around Japan.
I enjoy bike riding, to some extent swimming, and of course trampolining! So that covers sport.
I like to experience all different genres of music that I can. Anything with a beat that moves my soul will be something I like.
Television-wise, up until recently I've been watching it quite a lot. I love Alan Carr to bits! He cracks me up so badly! That covers the comedy side of things; of course Alan along with Justin Lee Collins make a perfect combo.
Anything that shows me a different view to what I think, which makes me think long and hard about it, that interests me. Of course, all the interesting eye-openers as well. The recent film 'The War on Democracy' by John Pilger was so fantastic I would recommend that as an eye-opener to anyone.
Philisophy greatly interests me as well.
Phew!

Writer

Nargis

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

Hello. I'm 27, have purple hair and anime and manga have hijacked my life. Growing up I was into Beano and the Dandy (I mean, hello! Why didn't I know about anime/manga back then?) Having led a misspent youth, I am now making up for it. Oh, I'm a Londoner too.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

I loved everything from Top Cat, those crazy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Ghost Busters. (Must refrain from singing the theme tune - you know you want to!) But Thundercats were my absolute favourite.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

About an hour a day! Watching the Furuba kids and Miyazaki's films make me want to believe in the world that much more. That, I think, is the true power of anime. Even I was swayed by Tohru Honda and her, "Never give ups." Manga is a godsend for long tube journeys!

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

Last Exile - Anime's don't get more epic than this. Aerial warfare, steam punk, political intrigue and two young pilots caught up in the middle of it all. This is the series that got me hooked on anime, and with good reason, it's truly a modern masterpiece!

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

My other passion would be manga. You know you've turned in to a geek when you've run out of space on your book shelf just when the new volume of Fruits Basket arrives. Other favourites include Ghost Hunt, Othello, Loveless and Hana Kimi! It was whilst reading these pages did I wonder - what's Pocky? Or who's Hyde? Manga was the best introduction to Japanese culture I could have had.

Ryan

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I'm 18, which makes me the baby of the staff. I'm from a country town near to Rotherham. I might be of Viking descent @_@

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?
We got some work to do now.
Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?
We need some help from you now.

Come on Scooby-Doo, I see you... pretending you got a sliver
But you're not fooling me, cause I can see, the way you shake and shiver.

You know we got a mystery to solve,
So Scooby Doo be ready for your act. [Scooby Doo] Uh-uh Uh-uh
Don't hold back!
And Scooby Doo if you come through
you're going to have yourself a scooby snack!
That's a fact!

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, here Are You.
You're ready and you're willing.
If we can count on you Scooby Doo,
I know you'll catch that villian.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

I watch quite a lot of anime, and I rewatch most of what I've seen, but I don't read too much manga. My resolution is to try and opt for the manga version instead of the anime when it is possible.

I've been watching anime since I was about ten years old though, so I've seen my fair share.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

The Neon Genesis Evangelion series, which is my favourite and still a classic. People often deride the series for being shallow, but I think that they're hypocrites who forget that good directing, characters and emotion are more important.

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

I'm interested in most topics; aesthetics, art, criticism, the environment, foreign languages, history, linguistics, literature, the media, music, philosophy, politics, psychology, science, theology etc.

I'm also a big gamer, the Final Fantasy and Resident Evil series are my favourites, with Disgaea and Ico being rare gems. In general, I have a strong tendency toward Japanese games, and I especially love Japanese story-telling, such as in the Guilty Gear and Metal Gear Solid series.

Sarah

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I'm twenty-one!! From that you can guess that I'm at that age when I'm no longer prepared to admit how old I am online! I have two sons (one of whom introduced me to DBZ and 'Naruto'). I'm from the West Country, born and brought up in Bath, but I've been living in Beckenham, Kent, for quite a while now.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

Does 'Captain Pugwash' count as a cartoon? Otherwise it would have to be 'Top Cat'and 'Scooby-Doo'(which always made my younger sister hide behind the sofa). And those dreadful early 'Herge's Adventures of Tintin!' versions which almost ruined one of my favourite series for me.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

I watch way too much anime (at least an episode or two a day). And I read way too much manga. Or not nearly enough, looking at it from another perspective... I'm still having fun catching up on all those series (manga and anime)that we missed out on in the UK. I love 'Kyo Kara Maoh!'at the moment (R1), Fullmetal Alchemist' and 'Eureka Seven'. I'm looking forward to 'Tsubasa' and 'Blood +'.

Current manga favourites are anything by the brilliant Fumi Yoshinaga ('Antique Bakery' will do for a start) and Oh!great's crazily inventive 'Air Gear'. Sanami Matoh's 'Trash' was a promising start to a new series, too.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

This is really tough.
For intellectual puzzling over, it would be 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. For comfort viewing, it would probably have to be 'Fruits Basket'. For a series that I just love, it would have to be 'Loveless'.

The third wins.

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

Music - of all kinds (I trained as a musician which is why anime music is really important to me).

Lewis

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

Currently enjoying my last year as a lazy teenager, for those of you mathematically challenged i'm 19. I spend my weekdays at a university in Edinburgh studying for a degree in Building Surveying, however I stay across the Firth of Forth in humble little Fife.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

That's going back some time now, I think like most kids of the late 80's early 90's I was raised on some fantastic television that the youth of today are missing out on. Shows that were less focused on revenue and more on good television. I can vividly remember watching Tom and Jerry as a child, everyone has thier favourite Tom and Jerry episode. I also remember shows such as Mr. Ben, Banana Man, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Duck Tales, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Top Cat and who could forget Rugrats.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

At the moment I tend to get around about an hours viewing in a day, on days off I usually kill the boredom by throwing a movie into the mix or watching a bunch of episodes. If I watched anymore I think I wouldn't get as much enjoyment and I would miss out on some of the finer points.

Due to my limited collection I only manage to squeeze in a few chapters every other day, although I find myself enjoying manga more than I thought.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

That's a tough question as there have been a lot of quality series being produced latley, but for me it would have to be the classic Tenchi Muyo! franchise. For something that was made 15 years ago it containes many of the elements that shows today still try to achieve. Great characters, wonderful script, brilliant story all blended with a delightful soundtrack and beautiful animation. It all just oozes originality and dedication from the staff behind it.

There is something about the Tenchi series that hasn't been seen since and I don't think we'll ever see something quite like it again.

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

I enjoy a varied lifestyle to say the least. I spend a great deal of my time playing sports and keeping fit, football mainly. I also enjoy working on my car, you can't beat getting covered in oil and enjoying a cold beer afterwards. I also co-run a car club with a userbase just shy of 3000 members.

I take an interest in anything and everything. From astronomy, wildlife, business, politics, to technology and construction. You name it and i'll probably have an opinion on it.

Alex

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I am 22, I am an unemployed graduate, and I am from a small village in Yorkshire.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

It's so hard to remember! I definitely liked Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, Barbar the Elephant, The Raccoons, and many more that I cannot remember right now.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

I watch a few episodes or a movie per week. Sometimes I am at the mercy of my dodgy old PS2 and whether it wants to play DVDs or not.... I need to get a new DVD player. I rarely watch anime online. And as for anime on TV, that's not going so well at the moment.... I do read manga, which is just as well since I am part of the manga reviewing team here at AUKN!

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

Probably the Cowboy Bebop series. I love it, it's very stylish and I could watch it over and over again. Either that or Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. That's another series that I love and if I was stuck on a deserted island, I would watch it over and over again and maybe, one day, I would understand the plot!

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

I love music. Bands I like include: Smog, Iron & Wine, Beulah, The Smiths, M Ward, Yo La Tengo, Sufjan Stevens, Pavement, Girls Aloud (really). I try to play a little bit as well, I'm multi-talented in that I suck at both the guitar and banjo. I enjoy watching DVDs, playing videogames, browsing the internet, reading books. I also like football and snooker, the former just watching, the latter watching and playing. Thanks for reading!

Andrew

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

I'm 23-years-old and I'm from Northampton, though currently in Glasgow studying English Literature at university.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

Danger Mouse!

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

I probably watch too much anime, but in comparison to many - seemingly not enough! And I read more manga than I watch anime, so quite a substantial amount.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

FLCL.

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

Music, film and reading. The former two battle it out for how much I love them (though, ultimately, music always wins), and the latter is fundamental to my future success (being a Lit student and all).

Ben

Writer

The generic introduction... How old are you? And where are you from?

Konnichiwa! I’m Ben and I suppose a quick summary of myself would consist of calling myself a cricketing Japanophile who loves science fiction and listening to Coldplay. (That is brief, honestly!) I come from the “Garden of England” Kent and, although not Cornwall, is still the best county. I am planning to go and work in Japan for a prolonged period but first of all I have to pass my A Levels and get my degree.

Forgetting anime for a moment, what's the first cartoon you can remember watching as a kid?

'Stop It and Tidy Up' what a class cartoon with Stop it and Tidy Up and a host of weird and wonderful characters like Brush Your Teeth and Take a Bath etc. Terry Wogan is wasted doing the Eurovision song contest. He needs to be doing more weird children’s cartoons.

So how much anime do you actually watch? Ever made the time to read manga too?

Well it's part of my job description to watch a lot of anime. Unfortunately I watch only what I can afford so I am limited however what I do buy and try to plough through on other sources are often gems ignored by mainstream viewers. I always try to make room for manga and often I read the source material for an anime e.g. ‘Akira’ and ‘Ghost in the Shell’.

Knowing you're going to be stuck on an deserted island, which one anime series/movie do you stash?

Ohh! That’s a question and a half! I’d love take with me the likes of ‘Serial Experiments Lain’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘Gundam’, ‘Macross Plus’ and many more but the one that I’d have to have if I was stuck on a desert island by myself would be ‘Evangelion’ with ‘Tenchi’ “accidentally” left inside the case. I’d take Eva because it would remind me that people are suffering far more than me in the world. (Shinji is just a sap isn’t he?) However this would be balanced by the joviality of Tenchi and what he and the gang get up too! I think the question is a bit unfair though considering it is like asking whether I would like to give up ‘Doctor Who’ or Chocolate!

Other than the obvious anime addiction, what else do you enjoy?

Well as I said earlier I love science fiction as a genre in general. Indeed I think it was what sparked my interest in anime and, subsequently, manga in the first place. However when I am not watching science fiction and England is playing cricket, I’m down the pub! The music I like is reasonably diverse but I suppose my favourite band would be Coldplay but I do enjoy dance music and attempting to dance.

Editorial Spotlight

A Very Brief Examination of Japanese Science Fiction.
	Kenji Kamiyama said in an interview talking about 'Ghost in the Shell' that the greatest science fiction is that which touches on important issues within today's society. What.. Read more (1 comments)
Lost for words
	After a couple months off from writing, I guess its time to return to this time consuming hobby. As you may have notice activity on Nakama has trickled to a halt, I guess the.. Read more (2 comments)
Review of Ergo Proxy #4
	Having decided to continue her search for the truth with Vincent, Re-l prepares for the journey ahead, but her AutoReiv companion, Iggy, defies his orders to return home, as the.. Read more (2 comments)
Death Note and Light's character
	A few months ago, I was sat in my living room with my sister and my mother, a typical lazy winter evening. They were watching some terrible reality-tv show, whilst I was minding.. Read more (5 comments)

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